1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to asphalt composition roofing.
2. Prior Art.
Asphalt composition roofing of various types and patterns, including various types of shingles, are well known in the prior art. For a long time such roofing was recognized as being relatively inexpensive, easy to install, of long life and fire resistant, at least in comparison to materials like wood shake, but in general did not have much decorative effect because of the uniform color and lack of meaningful thickness to provide any meaningful three dimensional appearance. In more recent years however, asphalt composition roofing products have become available which are more decorative in design, dimensional characteristics and coloration. By way of example, shingles are available which, when installed, have a geometric pattern somewhat resembling a spaced apart shake roof or a slate roof. Such shingles are relatively thick, at least toward the lower end thereof to give a reasonable three dimensional appearance to the roof, and are also available with the lower ends of the shake-like projections being of a lighter shade than the rest thereof, enhancing the shadow effect to give the roof a greater three dimensional appearance. The inventor of the present invention has produced and sold an asphalt composition hip and ridge cover in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,294, which gives a real three dimensional outline to the hip and ridge of asphalt composition roofs, so that today asphalt composition roofs can be quite attractive as well as fire resistant and of reasonable cost.
Typically, when installing an asphalt composition roof, a metal flashing will first be nailed to the lower edge of the roof, and having a portion thereof bent downward to hang below the lower edge of the roof by approximately two inches. For this purpose a piece of galvanized steel is used, with the flashing being painted a color approaching the color of the asphalt composition roofing material installed in courses thereabove to provide an apparent depth or thickness at the roof edge when installed and painted as described. Because the front edge of a roof normally is not perfectly straight and level, the flashing is frequently rippled and bent during installation. With time, the flashing may become bent much more by encounters with tree limbs, ladders and the like. Further, it is normally painted with ordinary house paint, wherein the paint adhesion is less than ideal, with chipping or peeling of the paint exposing the shiny metal thereunder to grossly degrade the esthetic characteristics thereof. Also the metal flashing only extends a short distance under the lower edge of the roof shingles, and is not fastened thereto or sealed with respect thereto. Therefore rain can frequently seep under the lower edge of the shingles, over the upper edges of the flashing and then thereunder, soaking the wood in that region. In moist environments, this frequently results in premature deterioration and rotting of the lower edge of the roof. Still the metal flashing remains the industry standard approach to finishing the lower edge of an asphalt composition roof.
The purpose of the present invention is to offer an alternative, one which does not need painting, will return to its original position after being inadvertently deflected and which is perfectly compatible with the asphalt composition roof itself since it is intended to be manufactured out of the same basic composition as the shingles are made from. In that regard, a multipurpose roof piece and a method of forming a roof piece are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,783 and 4,580,389 respectively. One of the intended uses of this roof piece is as a starter, with an edge thereof of the same width as the body being bent downward to serve the purpose of the flashing. This type of starter however, has the disadvantage that unless the edges line up perfectly, one can see light between the starter panels, creating the impression of a plurality of individual tabs extending downward rather than the desired impression of apparent thickness of the roof. Gaps between these tabs may be created not only by improper installation but also by waviness in the lower edge of the roof and misalignment so that one tab is forward or behind the adjacent one. In U.S. Pat. No. 4, 322,928, a somewhat similar starter is shown, this one shown installed in an overlapping manner. While this overcomes the gap problem hereinbefore referred to, it does so at the expense of an uneven lower edge surface of the roof, making the lower edge of the first course somewhat irregular. Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a starter of simple design for overcoming the various problems of the prior art.